ENGLISH
REFERENCE

estate

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ɪˈsteɪt// UK //ɪstˈeɪt// es·tate Academic Archaic General-service Humorous Vulgar

n. a large area of land, often with a big house on it, owned by one person or family. It can also mean all the money and property someone leaves behind when they die.

n. an extensive area of land in the country, usually with a large house, owned by one person, family, or organisation. In a legal context, it refers to the total property, real and personal, owned by an individual at the time of their death.


SIMPLE

He inherited a large family estate in the countryside.

CONTEXTUAL

The lawyers spent several months calculating the total value of the deceased man's estate before distributing it to his heirs.

COMPLEX

The sprawling country estate includes several thousand acres of forest, a private lake, and a historic manor house that has been in the family for generations.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English estat, from Anglo-Norman estat and Old French estat (French: état), from Latin status. Doublet of state and status.

Usage

Often used with 'real' to describe property (real estate) or with 'housing' to describe a residential development.

Idioms1 entry

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